I just read the post on 5 things that get you through the day, so I'm wondering what 5 things get you through a craving. :photo: If you can think of more than 5, please let me know! :help: Thanks guys. :hug: Can't wait to hear what you guys have to say.

Good idea for a thread, Booty.

Here are some things that usually work for me:

1. A large glass of cold Water with lemon that I drink fairly quickly.

2. A cup of tea. Herb tea's ok for me but I really love a good, well made cup of Darjeeling.

3. A walk or some other activity like calling a friend or checking my email. Anything distracting.

4. A Werther's sugar free butterscotch candy. They're yummy and have not aspartame.

5. I almost forgot about blueberries. A small handful out of the freezer and allowed to thaw for a few minutes. I love them as much as anything and they will take my mind off any "bad" stuff I'm craving.

That's pretty well all I do.

I brush my teeth. I never want to eat anything if my mouth is minty fresh and clean.

Thanks for the other helpful hints!

sugar free beverage in the blender with ice (SF slushies)

cheese

oatmeal

Big Feet Men

Christian Men

Tall Men

Good looking Men

You know the usual.

1. Watching something "trash-tastic" on tv, like anything on the CW network (but skipping the commercials).

2. I know it's cliché, but 35 minutes of high cardio with super loud music.

3. A small Tasti-d-Lite "icecream" (60 cals).

4. Cooking something elaborate, breaking it into portions and eating only one portion. Somehow being around food (i.e. cooking) satisfies the need to eat large quantities for me.

5. Lastly, SHOPPING. If I'm seriously bargaining with myself (like in a chocolate frenzy), I'll buy something I wouldn't otherwise allow myself. This is clear substitution and I don't go there more than once a month or so, but it's by far the most effective tool for me.

There are 1 - 3 things that get me through a craving, 1 - 3 bites of whatever I'm craving.

I guess I have a different philosophy than most. I don't fight cravings. If I really want something, I have it. My belief is - if you don't have it, you either begin to dwell on it or it just manifests itself in a different craving. Both of which are very likely to lead to overeating or binge eating. SOOO many times I've seen people who really just want a cookie, tell themselves over and over they can't have one, which makes them want it more, and their craving just grows until they "snap" and eat an entire bag of cookies... and rarely stop there. Why not just have the cookie when you crave it?

*shrug*

1. A 12 oz cup of coffee with fat free half and half.

2. A 60 calorie fat-free, sugar-free, 4 oz Jello chocolate pudding that I keep in the freezer. It tastes like ice-cream and also takes awhile to eat when it's frozen.

3. Keeping my hands busy doing my counted cross-stitch embroidary. In a few days I can finish a Christmas ornament to give to someone special.

4. Calling a friend and catching up on what's new. It takes the focus off the craving... if it really is a craving. Most of the time cravings pass in less than 30 minutes.

5. Getting up and doing something. I've noticed that the busier I am, the less I focus on food.

6. Some other low calorie "fixes" that I enjoy include; a 50 calorie cup-a-soup, an individual portion of Cereal (3/4 to 1 cup for 100 cal) that I don't add milk to... just enjoy it as a snack (raisin bran, crispix, special K, etc). Sprinkle some cinnamon on it.

I do the same as Wheetsin- I just have a little, realize it didnt taste as good as I had hoped and toss the rest!! I limit 2-4 bites. ( Not preband bites)

I agree with Wheetsin and Gonnabethin. If I crave something, I have it. I promised myself when I got the band I would never be on a diet again and I would never feel deprived again. Usually, just a few bites satisfies the craving and I am happy. If I didn't satisfy the craving, it would probably grow until I absolutely binged on it and felt miserable.

1) a cup of coffee with flavored creamer and sugar-it's usually the sugar I want and that's a nice low-dose for me and I get the hand/mouth thing with the coffee mug, plus the caffiene. Works for me, I think.

2) a Breakstone's 2% cottage cheese 4-ouncer.

3) a packet of Weight Control oatmeal

4) hopping on the 'puter for a Message Board Fix

5) a nap-quite the opposite of you Cardio-Freaks out there. But, you are losing faster than me, so have at it! I'm certain Cardio is a better choice-still, it makes me ill that you have it in you and I, clearly, don't

6) oh, and what Teresita said about Men...good one! Hubby's pretty handy about those sorts of things. Wait, isn't that Cardio?! I KNEW I could do it!!!

Yes Kathy that would be Cardio. I lost 10 pounds at last weeks weigh in. *wink*

Yes Kathy that would be Cardio. I lost 10 pounds at last weeks weigh in. *wink*

:faint: You GO, Girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :pound:

1. Coffee

2. Going for a Run

3. Get busy doing something else

4. Get distracted by one of the crises that occur with regular monotony in this house - ie. kid cutting off finger trying to cut apple, kid breaking arm on trampoline, kid falling off top bunk

5. Give in - and I do this regularly. I dont get true cravings very often at all, when I just have to have something particular. When I do, if I dont have it and I follow any of steps 1 to 4 above, the craving just returns later on, whereas if I have what I'm craving then I wont think about it again for a month or two

Deep breathing

Stretching

Singing and dancing

Shackles

I usually share one of whatever im craving with my husband and my 6 year old, that way the three of us get something tasty, and none of us suffers for it.

My photo on the refrig.